The celebrated UK specialty coffee group has just opened its second US location inside New York’s iconic Chrysler Building and is seeking further outlet growth across the city over the next 18 months
London-based specialty coffee group WatchHouse has appointed Aaron Nice as its first Head of US Operations.
Nice joins WatchHouse from California-based specialty coffee giant Blue Bottle Coffee, where he held various store development and real estate roles over a 16-year spell. From October 2019, he served as Director of Real Estate and Cafe Development, North America, overseeing outlet growth in California, New York and Boston, as well as the launch of first stores in Chicago and Las Vegas.
WatchHouse made its US debut in April 2024 with a store on New York’s 5th Avenue. Nice’s appointment in May 2025 came just weeks before the celebrated specialty coffee roaster and café group opened its second US outlet inside New York’s iconic Chrysler Building.
Founded in London in 2014, WatchHouse currently operates 20 UK ‘houses’, including a roastery-café in London’s Bermondsey and a venue in Bath – its only UK outlet outside of London. The business is seeking to open a further 10 stores across London and New York by the end of 2026 and enter the Middle East with a store in Abu Dhabi, UAE, within the next six months.
The UK specialty coffee group has raised significant investment, including £7.9m ($10m) in January 2024 and a further £7.2m ($9m) via a crowdfunding campaign just four months later, to support its domestic and international expansion plans. Founder Roland Horne has previously outlined an ambitious goal to operate more than 500 outlets globally by 2033.
